Method of applying members, as labels, platens, or the like to hollow bodies in a blowing process



Aug. 16, 1966 w. BATTENFELD 3,267,186

OR THE LIKE METHOD OF APPLYING MEMBERS, AS LABELS, PLATENS TO HOLLOWBODLES IN A BLOWING PROCESS Original Filed June 16, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent METHOD OF APPLYING MEMBERS, AS LABELS, PLATENS, ORTHE LIKE TO HOLLOW BODIES IN A BLOWING PROCESS Werner Battenfeld,Meinerzhagen, Westphalia, Germany, assignor to Firma GebruderBattenfeld, Meinerzhagen, Westphalia, Germany, a corporation of GermanyOriginal application June 16, 1964, Ser. No. 377,175, now Patent No.3,227,787, dated Jan. 4, 1966. Divided and this application June 22,1965, Ser No. 478,782

2 Claims. (Cl. 264-98) This is a division of patent application SerialNo. 377,175, filed June 16, 1964, now Patent No. 3,227,787, which inturn, is a continuation-in-part application to patent application SerialNo. 102,581, filed April 12, 1961, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a method of applying members, aslabels, platens, or the like to hollow bodies in a blowing process.

It is known to print on hollow bodies, blown from hoses or bands, afterthe blowing process. This printing is time-consuming, particularly onbulky parts and especially in case of a multi-color print due to thepartly required pre-treatment of the blown hollow bodies, in order toadhere the color properly. Above all, for each configuration of thehollow bodies particular printing machines must be used.

It has been also proposed before to manufacture resinous plastic moldedarticles by inserting sheet material carrying transferable inkrecordations thereon as successive portions of a continuous web betweensplit dies which form when closed a cavity with the ink recordationsspread out in a predetermined alignment with respect to a wall of thecavity, then forcing under pressure flowing resinous plastic material ina heated state into the cavity and against the ink recordations forfusing and baking the latter in an unmodified configuration to theresinous plasti-c molded article prior to and during solidificationthereof, and detaching each of the molded articles with a portion of thesheet material adhering thereto from the web. Such process has beenfound proper in connection with split dies.

On the other hand, in the formation of containers from plastics,thermoplastic polymers formed by blow molding techniques are generallyemployed. In accordance to the teachings of the prior art, some supporthad to be provided in an attempt to provide markings directly on thesurface of relatively flexible articles of this type. Additional markingproblems have arisen due to the relatively complex curves of thesurfaces of the molded plastics. Attempts have been made to eliminatethe marking problems by utilizing conventional printing techniques tofirst apply the desired marking on flat sheets, which are subsequentlybonded on the surface of the plastics product. These attempts have,however, been relatively unsuccessful, since where the printed sheet isapplied to the surface of the plastics article after formation thereof,the handling required raises production costs, particularly since suchmethod cannot be performed in a single step.

Yet, attempts to bond the printed sheet to the product during themolding, which would permit a single step operation, have provenunsuccessful since the sheets became distorted during their applicationto the plastics product.

In order to overcome these drawbacks a method has been finally proposed,according to which the desired markings are formed on a flat, relativelyflexible porous sheet material matrix, which is positioned in the moldin which the article is to be formed. Then the plastic parison isintroduced in the mold and a vacuum is provided on the side of thematrix remote from the parison and molding the latter, whereby thesurface of the expanding parison adjacent the matrix will have formedthereon the markings of the matrix free of any blemishes.

While this method amounted to an appreciable advance over the previousmethods, the manufacture of the article is extremely slowed up becauseindividual matrices are inserted into the open mold.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide amethod of applying members, as labels, platens, or the like to hollowbodies in a blowing process, wherein the drawbacks of the knownstructures are avoided.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method ofapplying members, as labels, platens or the like, wherein a paper ofpredetermined size having a layer is fed by means of a particularfeeding device into the hollow mold from the side of the clamping plateof the mold by a stamp. The stamp forms then with the layer carryingpaper one part of the mold.

The possibility exists thereby to use the feeding stamp, simultaneouslyas a cutting stamp and to stamp out corresponding sections from a leafband or a. paper band having a layer of plastic material or glueablematerial and to feed these sections into the blowing mold. In this caseuneven and curved faces can be inserted upon application of expandibleleaves, while in the case of paper only the possibility of deforming ofthe paper by vacuum exists.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are axial sections of a blow mold and FIG. 2 in particularin open position and FIG. 1 in blowing or closing position.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, whichdisclose sections taken at a right angle to the division of a mold and asqueezing edge 17 of a form half 11 and parallel to the axis of a hose16 which is squeezed out through a nozzle 10. The form half 11 isequipped with an opening 21, which has a crosssection exactly identicalwith that of a stamp 19, so that the edge 23 of the stamp 19 formsjointly with the edge 24 of the form half 11 a punching tool. twocutting edges 23 and 24, the leaf or the layer carrying paper 15 isinserted. During the closing movement, the stamp 19, which is equippedwith vacuum nozzles 22, is moved onto the hollow chamber 13. By thisarrangement, at platen 25 (FIG. 1) is stamped out from the leaf 15 andthe layer carrying paper, respectively, by means of the cutting edges 20and 21, which platen 25 assumes, due to the concavely curved end face ofthe stamp 19, the form of the inner face of the wall of thebottle-shaped like chamber 13 and is sucked up towards the stamp 19 bymeans of the vacuum nozzles 22.

Upon completion of the closing process, the stamp 19 forms one part ofthe mold wall. Depending upon the length of movement of the stamp 19,the platen of thermoplastic material or of a layer carrying paper can bedisposed indented and merely complementary relative to the inner wallface of the chamber 13, as shown in FIG. 1. Upon termination of theblowing step, the stamp 19 is returned to its original position. Duringthis step, the cut-off strip of the leaf 15 is taken off by means of astripping ring 20 from the stamp 19, so that the leaf or the layercarrying paper 15 can now be advanced into the next operative position.

The conveying device for the leaf 15 can be of a structure similar tothat used in the sheet metal industry and in printing plants,respectively, and this conveying device is not subject matter of thepresent invention. It is also possible to insert already pre-stampedplatens instead of cutting them during the insertion step and to insertthe Between the same into the hollow body in the manner described above.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined bythe objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of applying labels to a blow molded plastic article duringthe molding of said article in a hollow mold containing at least twoparts, said method comprising the steps of extruding a plastic hose in ahollow mold, feeding a printed leaf of thermoplastic material past saidhollow mold,

cutting at least a portion of said printed leaf of thermoplasticmaterial and engaging said portion of said printed leaf of thermoplasticmaterial With the outer surface of said extruded plastic hose,

blow molding the latter and simultaneously permanently securing saidportion of said printed leaf of thermoplastic material to said blowmolded article,

advancing said printed leaf of thermoplastic material for a followingblow molding operation, and

said step of cutting of at least a portion of said material beingperformed by a member feeding said portion of said printed leaf ofthermoplastic material into said mold through a cavity in the Wall ofsaid mold, and

said cavity being complementary to said feeding member.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 7, which includes the steps offeeding said portion of said sheet of label material into said mold byretaining said portion on said member.

No references cited.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED L. LEAVITT, Examiner.

A. R. NOE. Assistant Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF APPLYING LABELS TO A BLOW MOLDED PLASTIC ARTICLE DURINGTHE MOLDING OF SAID ARTICLE IN A HOLLOW MOLD CONTAINING AT LEAST TWOPARTS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF EXTRUDING A PLASTIC HOSE IN AHOLLOW MOLD, FEEDING A PRINTED LEAF OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL PAST SAIDHOLLOW MOLD, CUTTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PRINTED LEAF OFTHERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AND ENGAGING SAID PORTION OF SAID PRINTED LEAF OFTHERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID EXTRUDED PLASTICHOSE, BLOW MOLDING THE LATTER SIMULTANEOUSLY PERMANENTLY SECURING SAIDPORTION OF SAID PRINTED LEAF OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL TO SAID BLOWMOLDED ARTICLE, ADVANCING SAID PRINTED LEAF OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALFOR A FOLLOWING BLOW MOLDING OPERATION, AND SAID STEP OF CUTTING OF ATLEAST A PORTION OF SAID MATERIAL BEING PERFORMED BY A MEMBER FEEDINGSAID PORTION OF SAID PRINTED LEAF OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL INTO SAIDMOLD THROUGH A CAVITY IN THE WALL OF SAID MOLD, AND SAID CAVITY BEINGCOMPLEMENTARY TO SAID FEEDING MEMBER.